Electrically actuated overhead garage door opener with solenoid actuated latches
First Claim
1. In a garage door opener having an electric drive means for opening and closing said garage door on command, including a motor for moving said garage door, an improvement comprising at least one electrically actuated lock for locking said garage door while closed, said lock being mechanically and electrically seprate from said drive means, means for sensing one event related to said command for operation of said garage door opener in response to a switch that is closed to command door opener operation, means for sensing another event, said another event being related to operation of said motor and produced as a result of said one event prior to movement of said door by said motor, and means responsive to said one event sensing means for actuating said lock to unlock said door before said motor begins to move said door.
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Abstract
A garage door opener with solenoid latches is provided with a circuit for energizing the coils of the solenoid latches with power from a 24-volt step-down transformer, either as 120 volt power is applied to a motor to move the door in response to detection of an initial surge of current or as a manual or radio controlled command switch is actuated. In either case, current at a higher level is applied initially to pull in the armature locking pins of the solenoid latches, and thereafter at a lower hold-in level. A transformer with a single turn primary winding or a Hall-effect device may be used to detect the initial surge of current to the motor and in response thereto pull in the locking pins. Thereafter, hold-in current is applied as long as current to the motor is sensed. In the case of sensing actuation of a command switch, a first one-shot triggered by the command switch times the total period (16 seconds) during which the solenoid latches are provided with at least hold-in current, and a second one-shot triggered by the first one-shot at the beginning of its timing period, times a short (100 ms) period during which high, pull-in current is applied. The second one-shot may also be used to inhibit application of power to the motor during the pull-in time. Still other embodiments utilize a mechanical means for sensing when power has been applied to the motor by the door opener.
41 Citations
10 Claims
- 1. In a garage door opener having an electric drive means for opening and closing said garage door on command, including a motor for moving said garage door, an improvement comprising at least one electrically actuated lock for locking said garage door while closed, said lock being mechanically and electrically seprate from said drive means, means for sensing one event related to said command for operation of said garage door opener in response to a switch that is closed to command door opener operation, means for sensing another event, said another event being related to operation of said motor and produced as a result of said one event prior to movement of said door by said motor, and means responsive to said one event sensing means for actuating said lock to unlock said door before said motor begins to move said door.
- 7. In a garage door opener with at least one solenoid latch for locking a garage door while closed, said solenid latch having a coil and an armature, and said door opener having an electric motor for moving the garage door, an improvement comprising means for sensing a mechanical event, said mechanical event being related to operation of said garage door opener, and means responsive to said sensing means for initially controlling energizing current available to the coil of said solenid latch to a first level of current to pull in said armature when initial mechanical operation of said garage door opener is sensed thereby unlocking the door before said door opener begins to move said door, and thereafter controlling the energizing of said coil with a second, lower level of current as long as continued operation of said garage door opener is sensed.
- 9. In combination, a garage door opener with electric door locks, said combination comprising means for sensing an event related to operation of said garage door opener which enables said electric locks to work in conjunction with said garage door opener before said garage door opener begins to operate, and delay means responsive to said sensing means for limiting the electric power supplied to said locks after unlocking of said locks and when said garage door opener is operational.
Specification